With just a few (mostly underground) releases,
Dilated Peoples energized the rap underground in similar fashion to fellow West Coast crew
Jurassic 5. The duo of
Evidence and
Rakaa came together in the mid-'90s, when they met at many of the same hip-hop shows; after deciding to start making tracks together, they formed
Dilated Peoples. Once they added to the fold an excellent turntablist,
DJ Babu of
the Beat Junkies,
Dilated Peoples recorded the singles "Third Degree" and "Work the Angles" for ABB Records. The latter became an underground hit via hip-hop radio and club play, prompting
Dilated Peoples' signing to Capitol.
The Platform followed in May 2000. The group's follow-up for Capitol,
The Expansion Team, was released in late 2001 to positive reviews as well as a Top 40 placing, and the group hit the road the following March, touring with the film Scratch, a documentary about hip-hop DJs and turntablists.
Neighborhood Watch followed in 2004. The loosely structured
20/20 was released in 2006 and featured guest appearances from
Talib Kweli and reggae great
Capleton. Solo projects from all three members kept the group separated until 2014, when they released the album
Directors of Photography on the Rhymesayers label. ~ John Bush